the center returns to the field. >> 2015 is turning out to be the deadliest year on record for migrants crossing the mediterranean. the number of people who have died trying to reach a better life in europe has passed 2,000. still they come. another 306 people have just arrived in italy, rescued by the italian coast guard. according to the international organization for migration, the crossing into europe is by far the most dangerous route for migrants in the world, approximately 188,000 migrants have been rescued in the mediterranean so far this year. most set off to europe from countries like tunisia, libya and syria. some make their way to france, are where thousands are now trying to reach britain. these latest figures show that 2015 is on course to pass 3,000 who died last year. just before we came on air, i spoke to leonard doyle, the spokesman for the national organization or migration. i asked him if recent tragedies have led to any positive change. >> i think it's undoubtedly the case that the europeans got a very sharp chal shock when the e died off the coast of lampedusa and they employed their navies to rescue people and bring them to safety. i think while each reached a milestone in terms of the number dead, about a quarter more this time than last year, there is a big rescue mission taking operation at the same time. >> these days, the focus shifted from what's happening at sea to places like calais. what actually happens when people arrive onshore in southern european countries. are they not processed, housed, registered? >> well, it's a good point. they are arriving in what's called the european union, but you might as well call it the ununited union. the italians pros those willing to be finger printed and some say they turn a blind eye. they don't want them hanging around and being a burden on their system and they are dealing with vastly more numbers than other countries, so it's understandable, but much to the annoyance of their fellow union members, they turn them away while migrants get out of town and try to get over the border to where they have family or feel that they have a better welcome. >> essentially, it sounds like you're saying given the divisions between european countries, these people are falling between the cracks of european politics. >> they're exploiting the cracks in european politics, recognizing that in a disunited europe when nobody is quite in tune with each other, there are opportunities to slip through and that is undoubtedly the case for. they want to get to places where they have family or linguistic or cultural links. >> proposals came out in may, a quota system for jointly sharing the responsibility for settling asylum seekers and migrants, will things only get worse for both european countries, as well as migrants and asylum seekers themselves? >> probably, at least in the medium to short term. this is the story of the construction of europe, that it goes in fits and starts. it usually takes a crise for some improvement, for politicians to get over the disquiet or difficulty they have. when we saw the ship sinking in april, it brought the union together, recognizing that they couldn't have blood on their hands every weekend. undoubtedly, the calais system will bring about improvement, as well. the british and french governments are working very hard to speak in tune and not attack each other, looking at it as a problem to be solved, not exploited. >> what do you make of the responsibilities so far, more sniffer dogs, fences and guards. >> at the end of the day, we need to think about the humanity of these people. people have left war, left human rights abuses lieu ned isil. these are people we all know need to be protected. at the same time, government leaders have to protect their borders. it is perfectly understandable, every country does that. it's a balance. sometimes the balance is lost and in the hype and hysteria, we forget these are human beings who need our support. >> from europe to africa now, where a african judge has thrown out a corruption case against a politician, one of president zuma's most high profile critics. he was accused of fraud and racketeering linked to a government contract. >> the judge said i'm free, and south africa should know from today that i'm free. on thursday, i will be in parliament. zuma will know us better, because we are free, we are free to be parliamentariens. >> i know because we are dealing with dogs, they are going to manufacture something new. they are free to do that. let them manufacture whatever new charges against me. they will never win in a neutral court of law. >> let's talk now with our correspondent. is the trial over? it has to do with somebody being too sick to show up to court today. >> well, it's that technicality, of course, that's led to the case being thrown out for the time being. the national prosecuting authority hasn't made it clear whether or not they will pursue reinstating the charges, but that certainly is an option for state prosecutors. there is a couple of legalities to follow with certain process. it is an option for them and they haven't yet decided whether or not that will be made clear, so for now, he is off the hook. we are not certain that will be permanent. >> since this ended on a technicality, is it impacting his public image at all? >> >> because it's a technicality, there will be questions from the public in general around the prosecuting authority in terms of developments and how they handle the options that they were presented with in going forward with the case. if anything, the m.p.a. would face questions. for his supporters, they are not really concerned with the tech cats or legalities of it all. they're happy that he's out of court. they've always man attend that he hasn't had a case to answer to and now he can get back to leading the party as well as representing it in the parliament in south africa. >> thanks so much. >> the u.n. envoy to yemen said his plan to end the four month conflict is gaining acceptance among the warring parties. on the ground, fighters loyal to the exiled president are advancing with the support of saudi air power. the biggest military base has been recaptured from houthi rebels. we have this report. >> this is the gate to the military base, yemen's largest now under the control of pro government forces. they took it from houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president ali abdullah saleh. many were killed or captured in battles that have continued since may. the forces used he heavy weaponry including tanks and armored vehicles provided by saudi arabia and the united arab emirates. anti houthi fighters say this brings them closer to taiz. fighters accused the houthis of taking political prisoners. its advances in the south have seemed to avoid the government in exile. the houthis have been pushed on the defensive in recent days. >> without the implementation of security council resolutions, we cannot include the houthis and ali abdullah saleh militias after they have committed all these crimes. >> some analysts say morale will be boosted, but the location will not allow it as a staging area to push forward. although the recent victories in be aden have made pro houthi forces more cast that they can push back houthi's in yemen, they know it's not going to be easy or quick. >> tens of thousands made homeless, victims of flooding in myanmar. >> bat news for cecil, his brother and as you sees. still hunting the big five. >> pakistan has executed a man on death row for murder despite appeals by international human rights groups. the family of hussein say he was just children r.13 when he was arrested for killing a child and then tortured into confessing. nicole johnson reports. >> he was hanged in karachi before dawn. his family traveled to be there, still insisting he was 14 years old when he was convicted. >> tell me, did i get justice? i am older than him. guess how old i am? he was two and a half years younger than me. >> for months, his family fault for his life. human rights group including amnesty international say he was a minor when he was sentenced to death for killing a 7-year-old boy and had been tortured to confess. a government investigation found he was 23 years old when arrested. pakistan lifted a moratorium on the death penalty last year after the taliban attacked a school in peshawar. it shocked the government into action. it declared people on death row for terrorism related crimes would be executed. however, a reuters investigation found most of the people who have been hanged were convicted murderers and only one in six had been found guilty of crimes that lead to terrorism. >> our question is are these terrorists being executed or are they ordinary convicts being executed? 99% of those being executed are those who were convicts on death row who already served a life sentence maximum for murder. >> many pakistanis support the death penalty. >> our justice system, our prison system, our society at large doesn't have the in-built system of reformation, reforming the criminals, because once you are a criminal, it's hardly, you become a criminal. >> there are more than 8,000 people facing the death penalty in pakistan. singles the moratorium was lifted, over 190 people have been hanged. this place in pakistan in the top of three countries in the world for executions, along with saudi arabia and iran. >> there's been a significant drop in the number of attacks in pakistan. the government argues one of the reasons for this is the fear of being executed. his family says the legal system is two weak and corrupt to protect it from being abused. nicole johnston, al jazeera, islamabad. >> myanmar's government is appealing for international help for 200,000 people hit by some of the worst flooding in decades. large areas around the water, the government isn't able to reach everyone in need. it is now feared water flowing down river will inundate even more populated areas. >> this may look like a river, but it's actually one area of myanmar hit by floods. a stream overflowed into this village. villagers are dealing with the consequences without government support. >> this situation is not good for us. every day, we need to pay for a boat just to get out of our house and buy groceries. >> a nearby monastery opened its doors. amongst are trying to support this group of mainly women and children with the help of private donors and civil society organizations. >> i am very sad for the people, because the government does nothing for them. government neglects flooded communities. it's not good. it's been the same for 11 years. unless we get more donations, we will run out of supplies in 10 days. >> government aircraft are dropping supplies. it's hard to know how badly people have been affected here as phone lines are down and roads washed away. >> first we focus on food. we've prepared boxes of rice, drinking water, instant noodles. we have to drop these reactions off two liters above the ground. will have to collect and share them. people's homes are flooded and they can't access normal services. there are concerns rivers may burst their banks, leaving even more people vulnerable and in need of help. >> what we expect is that they could be distressed due to displacement. schools are shut, children have lost -- these are areas with high rates of malnutrition, so the flooding could exacerbate those conditions. >> the u.n. said the government is better prepared to deal with this disaster than it was in 2008, when a cyclone left 140,000 people dead or missing. in this crise, some people say they are not getting the government help they need. al jazeera. >> eight people have been swept away by flash floods in china's northwestern city. it follows the heaviest rainfall in the area for 30 years. a team of police officers, firefighters and paramilitary troops searched the reamen overnight, recovering all eight bodies by morning. >> with the weather and the latest on that situation, myanmar has good news around the corner? >> you get the heavy rain causing problems and then there's the wait for the rivers to suddenly disgorge. the rain is working its way further and further south. you look at the satellite imagery here, you see a lot of shower clouds there affecting the region. that is going to continue. there will be more rain coming down. the very worst of that associated with a tropical cyclone has gone. the forecast, there's the rain. it doesn't paint a pretty picture. just hint me, you see that circulation. that is from the next major weather event takion place. that is our super typhoon. you can see that beautiful eye wall there, it is the sixth category five storm to develop so far in 2015. through the whole of the year, we normally expect to see at 4.6 such storms. in 1997 and in 2015, both big el niño years, surface warming of the pacific. this particular storm that winds in excess of 258 m.p.h. it will be a very damaging storm. >> government forces in sudan are accused of committing war crimes. amnesty international said civilians are being killed in air and ground attacks. the human rights group says cluster bombs are being used. schools and hospitals are being deliberately targeted. amnesty international south sudan campaigner said it's almost impossible to get humanitarian aid to people. >> this aerial bombardment has been carried out using fighter jets and they have been dropping cluster bombs and inherently indiscriminate weapons in civilian areas. hospitals and schools and other objects that do not serve a military purpose should not be targeted, however the sudanese armed forces are not only targeting hospitals and schools and other civilian infrastructure, but are also bombing civilians in areas they try to hide, in is caves, in fox holes, very difficult to get aid into these areas. last year, there was a missile breakout in the whole of sudan, however, children do not have access to much-needed vaccine distributed by unicef. for 1.2 million people in these areas, there are only two hospitals available. there's a huge impact of this conflict. >> the u.s. airlines, united, american and now delta won't transport big game trophies anymore. there's been a big backlash after a u.s. dentist called a lion called cecil during a hunt in zimbabwe. hunting is big business. one on line firm charges 40,000 u.s. dollars to kill an elephant. it costs $40,000 to kill a lion. buffalo will set you back $14,000. southern africa's hunting industries is worth about $1 billion a year. in zimbabwe, it's worth $20 million annually. south africa outlawed so-called canned hunting, where animals are shot in cages where they're tranquilized just before they're shot. animals rights groups object to killing animals and calling it a sport. critics say it could mean some species are wiped out. hunting supporters say it's a way to control animal numbers. president of the safari operators association of zimbabwe, his members otherwise hunting trips and he joins me now live. good to have you with us. i went through some of the numbers. just how important is hunting to some of these african economies? >> good afternoon. hunting is very, very important in our context, it supports close to 800,000 families directly. in terms of provision of infrastructure, building of roads, hospitals, education, schooling for the kids, and sanitation, so we consider hunting as part of tourism which contribute directly to the livelihood of families here in zimbabwe, so it is significant and important. >> i want to get to you respond to a criticism people say that the latest case, cecil the lion, that case, i'm sure you're aware of in zimbabwe, that that shows how easy it is for the line to be blurred between legal and illegal hunting and how a legal exercise can turn into something that actually threaten the habitat. >> well, i mean, the situation i guess very unfortunate. we didn't expect it and regret that kind of loss. cecil was an icon in our tourism in zimbabwe. it really attracted a lot of international visitors to zimbabwe and they are very, very saddened by the loss of cecil. we pride ourselves quite significantly in terms of conservation efforts, and in terms of security, we provide and procedures around that control. i say so, because cecil was killed tragically on it is first of july but within a period of three weeks, the culprits were apprehended, taken to court and charged. that shows how serious the government is on conservation issues. >> as you're aware today, more and more u.s. airlines saying they are not going to carry big trophies back anymore. one anticipate that is may take a dent out of the hunting industry. is it time to be thinking of alternative things, like conservation tourism and how that could contribute to your economy? >> i think of the issue about airlines not carrying is something which we are currently discussing and lobbying against, because we are trying to demonstrate how valuable hunting is and the conservation, too, not only in terms of economic livelihood, but also should be considered as part of an economic tool which affects the standard of living of people. you must understand that areas like in zimbabwe like most of africa, there are areas where human beings coexist with animals and there is no choice. they cannot participate in any form of agriculture, and to have it or use it, the wildlife lives closely with them. it's something which needs to be promoted continuously, otherwise, it will have devastating results. >> how worried are you? do you feel there is a double standard here where in other parts of the world, in the west there is hunting, but the news seems to be tightening around hunting in africa when it comes to transporting trophies, big trophies. >> for south africa in terms of -- here we pride ourselves that you can easily see within an hour all the big five. we have been in terms of keeping a healthy population. we talk about lions, as we speak now, we have more than 2,000 lions roaming in the wild. that in itself i also exemplary in terms of the conservation methods we use and want to make sure that we continue using hunting as one of the conservation tools for much and to protect those animals. >> all right, it's been good talking to you. thank you very much for your thoughts on that. >> religious leaders in senegal are urged to help solve a nationwide problem with plastic bags. they continue to litter the streets despite a government ban started three months ago. >> it wasn't always like this, the litter, the junk and plastic bags accumulated over time. he never understood how people got so easily accustomed to this pollution. people who pray here also throw their garbage here, polluting what was once a nature preserve. >> islam is clear, any form of pollution or aggression towards the environment is a sin and clearly forbidden. people need to be reminded of this. >> to reduce this pollution, members of parliament recently voted a law banning plastic bags altogether. carrying one of these is now illegal and throwing a plastic lead to a six month jail sentence and a $300,000 fine. despite the penalty, the law is still largely ignored. >> if we get rid of these bags, what will i use for my customers? >> so old habits remain. people continue to use them, dumping them even into the ocean. it will take thousands of years to disintegrate. in the meantime, someone needs to pick them up. >> local officials can't clean up and enforce a law all on for the help of local religious help of local religious leaders to help them change behavior, preaching that emphasizes the importance of protecting the environment in islam. >> known as the green imam, he is making fighting pollution his jihad. >> god has handed out to humanity the responsibility of conservation of nature and other creatures on this earth. it is our duty to protect the environment as muslims. >> taking responsibility for the waste we create, it may sound trivial, but for him is a global issue, a call for global action and a small change of habits. it's not just protecting nature from human pollution, it's about saving what connects us to the spiritual world. >> still ahead here on al jazeera. >> in missouri, the commander is the grandson of the pilot who dropped the bomb on hiroshima. >> embracing the free market. >> from wimbledon to the white house. details coming up with jo. >> welcome back. let's take you through some of of the headlines. new figures reveal 2015 is on course to be the deadliest year on record for migrants crossing into europe. the national organization for migration said more than 2,000 have died so far this year. nearly 200,000 have been rescued. the corruption case against south african leader has been thrown out of court. the judge said the charges took too long to be brought to trial. >> the u.s. enjoy to yemen his said plan to end the conflict is gaining. yemen's biggest military base has been recaptured from houthi rebels. >> many of the thousands of migrants who make their way across the mediterranean are trying to reach the u.k. the british government says improved security measures are deterring people from trying to enter the channel tunnel into france. let's go now to charles, live for us there in calais. the jungle, that's what they call it, don't they? take us through a little bit of detail of what exactly that is behind you that we can see in the screen there. >> that's right, behind me as you say, a camp that the locals and the people that live here now call the jungle. it's interesting in terms of the various communities and nationals that live here and directly behind me is predominantly an area where afghans are living. to the left is sudanese. off camera to my right is a large area which is eritrean, ethiopian and these from the area of darfur after that. the majority of these people are coming from conflict zones. they are fleeing political persecution and violence in their own countries. i spoke to a police representative this morning, who was describing numbers and the amounts of attempts there were certainly last night to breach that fence and get on to the train. he said there were around 600 of them. he said these aren't 600 individuals, he said one individual may 33 or four times. he said there were 20 arrests. he said police are under increasing pressure. he said the new 120 policemen that came as reinforcements have helped matters hugely here. when you speak to people in the camp, i realize how desperate they are to go to the u.k. men and women described their injuries, described witnesses people horrifically injured as they try and get on these trains. there's a huge disparity between what governments are saying and seem to be focusing on, which is security and the atrocious conditions here that the people are living in. >> on that point, take us through some of the stories. what have people been through by the time they reach calais? >> what's interesting is the context of how these people get here. you take a classic case, i've spoken to people with similar stories. for example, they'll come across on a boat, there will be traffic on a boat, paying, they are taken by authorities and put into a camp, they could be there a a few days to a few months. the italians assess whether these people are who they say they are and whether they can apply for asylum status there. a majority of these people will leave those camps, run away. once they run away, in europe, they have access to any european country they like. it's important for non-european viewers to recognize you can walk across europe, there are no borders. here in calais, we have a bottleneck, where people are waiting or desperately trying to get to the u.k., because they say that the asylum laws, it's known to the asylum seeking laws in the u.k. are less stringent, but they are interested in living in a country with english be language and say it's much easier to work there, there's more of a black market, if you like on on employment level. they've been through a hell of a lot to get here. as i say, while the politicians are focusing on security and blaming each other on this crisis, they're stuck here. >> thanks so much, charles stratford there. the u.s. says it will push the issue of disputed islands in the south china sea during a summit in malaysia. the u.s. and china have been invited to the summit of the association of southeast asian nations. china said it is unhappy with territorial disputes raised. it wants the summit to focus on cooperation. >> while regional leaders gather in malaysia, they are grappling with a corruption scandal. >> the headquarters of the newspaper and magazine in kuala lampur is all quiet since a three month ban on all publications. it's investigating a money trail. while the edge stands by its article, they are demanding clarification of the government decision. they filed a judicial review and were unable to comment at this time. the wall street journal initially reported it had seen documents implicating the prime minister. he's been fire tight approximating the accusations left at him yet when questioned by his own deputy and investigated by malaysia's attorney general, fired them bolt in a major cabinet reshuffle. his criticism of the handle of the investigation has him now barred from leaving the country. >> i have not been chard in any investigation. it clearly points to an act of desperation in an attempt to intimidate the big critics against the prime minister and his handling of -- >> the actions of the government are reminiscent of the 1980's when several reputal newspapers were shut down for a period. >> i really think that it's a serious indication of -- >> the government are making their position clear. >> because of the nature of allegations made, it could very well undermine the security of the nation and the stability of the economy. we believe that a temporary suspension of the publication is the best way to go, and being investigation bolt by the thai government and also by domestic investigators and authors here in malaysia. >> malaysia has just over two years before the next general election, enough time for the government to recover and restore faith in the public, but more issues like this will only reinforce opinion for the party that's been in power since independence may no longer be trusted. al jazeera, kuala lampur. >> the japanese government said it's suspending the planned location of a u.s. military base for one month. many people on okinawa oppose plans to move the u.s. marine corps air base to the north of the island. instead, they want the base to close and the american troops to go home. the government spokesman understands the suspension will law discussions to resolve the dispute. >> thursday marks 70 years sings the u.s. nuclear attack on japan. al jazeera has a special series of pieces leading up to the anniversary. we met the grandson of the pilot who met the bomb, a man now in charge of a nuclear fleet. >> brigadier general went from the cockpit of the most dangerous plane on earth to the commander's office. it's a familiar path in his uniquely nuclear family. >> this is the crew. >> his grandfather unleashed the age of nuclear weapons when he opened the bombay doors of a plane named for his mother. it dropped a pay load that devastated hiroshima. >> there was nothing but a black, boiling mess and that cloud up above it was tumbling and rolling. you could see the energy in i it. >> the younger man says his grandfather never doubted it. >> if he was sitting here today, he would look at you and he would say i had a job to do. i never lost one night's sleep after that mission. not one. the reason is not because i'm a warmonger. it was because i knew that this mission that i was ordered to do was effective in bringing this war to an end, and in the long run saving hundreds of thousands of lives. >> that is an ethos carried on. >> effective nuclear deterrence is provided to our allies and too deter bad people around the world that would look to do us harm. >> the end to the cold war means fewer isil command centers. >> bombers remain as much a part of the nuclear arsenal at ever. >> the mission remains the same, global deterrence and the readiness to carry out an order that everyone hopes will never be given again. >> the younger man returned to the air force base as commander in june and said if faced with an order like the one his grandfather were given, he would assure pilots carry it out. >> as our president has said, as long as nuclear weapons exist, we are going to maintain a safe, secure, effective nuclear force. if that demand comes, we are ready to go. >> ready to go, but like his grandfather, far from eager. al jazeera, missouri. >> fire crews in california managed to build a buffer zone next to thousands of homes threatened by a wildfire. 13,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. the fire is roughly tripled in size in the last days partly because of california's drought, which has lasted for around four years. >> in the u.s., two people have been wounded in a shooting outside a hiphop concert. the incident in new jersey is yet another example of what police chiefs say is rising violent crime nationwide. they have been holding an emergency summit in washington. we report on the growing death toll from los angeles to baltimore. >> another violent weekend in baltimore, in a period of just a few hours, one man was shot dead, eight others were injured. the violence follows a record number of deaths for the city in july. 45 people were killed. the city's deadliest month in decades. >> we have seen a surge in violence before and the surge we've seen mirrors the surge that is happening across our country. >> in st. louis and new orleans, the number of murders has ricin 33%, chicago, washington and other major cities have seen dramatic rises in violent crime. >> it is a huge, huge issue. we have not seen what we're seeing right now in decades. >> so police chiefs and mayors from 30 cities convened for an emergency meeting in washington. the group couldn't identify exactly why crime is up or offer solutions. police blame some of the shootings on illegal gun use, gang violence and the proliferation of synthetic drugs, causing erratic behavior. they blame a lock of support to assist those incarcerated once released. >> quality education, job training, housing, reentry program aimed at enhancing the socioeconomic opportunities for those in our community so that people will be living a more productive life instead of a life of crime. >> as federal, state and local governments grapple with increasingly higher bucketses, they have little hope the violence will cease. >> it makes my heart sad to naphthas as a people are just killing each other, and i'm sorry that they are, but i don't know if there's any resolution at the moment now. >> or hope, as police have few strategies to stop the crime plaguing u.s. city streets. al jazeera, washington. >> a monument carved into a mountain in the beyond is seen by some as a symbol of white supremacy. it's adding to the fierce debate about racism and america's history of slavery. we have this report from georgia. several members of the clue clubs clan gathered there. the history is only related to white supremacy. >> the carving which took nearly 50 years to complete depicts jefferson davis, robert e. lee and tomas stonewall jackson, all leaders of the confederacy. the moment is proposed to be kept but adding historical georgia natives like former president jimmy carter and martin luther king, jr. >> the confederacy seems to dominate the conception of historic georgia and that's not the case. >> the naacp has a different approach and wants the monument completely removed. >> some people who claim it as art, there are a lot of artistic expressions, but that art is not worth another black life. >> over the weekend, hundreds rallied peacefully at what they called the pro confederate gathering at the base of the mountain. >> you are not offended? >> no, people can use it for bad or good. it's just a symbol. >> others at the rally like the self proclaimed head of the georgia ku klux klan came with other intentions. >> are you with the k.k.k.? >> i am and i'm proud to stand up for my heritage. if these people knew what the hell they were talking about, they would know that the k.k.k. was started by six confederate soldiers. >> this clan member would not give" name and people at the rally had him removed. it's scenes like this adding fuel to the debate over all symbols of the confederacy. >> the mayor of the mexico stiff says no expense will be spared in the hunt for the killers of a journalist. reuben is pin nose is a's funeral was held in the capitol. he fled there after receiving threats from the state of veracruz where he worked. 90% have journalists murders in mexico have gone unpunished in the last 20 years. >> puerto rico defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history. it missed a repayment due monday. the economy is in recession and many have left to look for work abroad. >> farmers are helping to lead the way to major changes underway in cuba. diplomatic relations are being restored with the united states. things are starting to look different on the island, too, as melissa chan reports. >> you're looking at the first and only wholesale market in cuba where farmers sell goods on the open market, where buyers haggle over prices. you might call it capitalism with a cuban touch. >> it's an experiment, something new and we're in the process of organizing the market. yes, we can say this is a free market. it's available for anyone, sellers and buyers. >> when raul castro rolled out his reforms a few years ago, he targeted agriculture as a top priority. inefficiencies had racked the industry. fruit and vegetables would rot because officials charged with picking up farmer's crops failed to distribute them in time. state owned markets with lower prices remain available, but they often run out of food. >> this time of the year, you've got mangos, pineapples and plantains. 900 farmers, groups of farmers and different organizations have registered to sell at the market here. >> analysts estimate that half a million farmers in cuba now own or lease private land for personal profit. the reforms have in vig rated this farmer. >> when we heard the news, farmers felt great joy. any change would be an improvement. it was excellent, it was freedom. >> farming remains a tough enterprise. the machines are far past their expiration date and often break down. to buy spare parts, they have to wait. the government has complete control over imports and a monopoly on selling new merchandise. once upon a time, cuba exported sugar, tobacco and citrus. these days, the island imports 80% of its food, a situation the government wants to change. the transition will take years, and while some farmers may benefit, it's not clear whether the industry as a whole will come out strong. al jazeera, cuba. >> a whale has become a tourist attraction. hundreds are watching it. a navy ship hopes to lure it to help it swim back out into the atlantic ocean. >> jo will have the sport, including despite a heavy defeat in the last match. it's england who have to deal with a massive loss. >> jo's here. that means it's time to catch up with the sport news. from doping to race news, there's a lot of bad news in the headlines. >> sadaam good returns to training. the addition of the footballer has been the subject of a fears debate on racism over the past week and a half. one of the most well known players, he took indefinite leave after several months of booing from supporters. while some said the boos were because fans didn't like him, supporters claim the attacks were racially motivated. he is an outspoken activist. >> a lot of discussion i've been involved in before. those discussions need to be had. i'm hopeful that those discussions are behind us now and we can all move on. i think people have had their opinions and spoken about the issues, and hopefully, now we can move forward and for me, going back out there and playing football. >> the international federation has yet to issue a formal response to allegations of widespread drug use in athletics. it has drawn comparisons to cycling. daniel son face as lifetime ban. >> day two of cycling came to a painful end. nine riders reached the finish line after a crash on the final bend. race leader kit tell was one of the few to stay upright but says he had to ride over the wheels of one of his rivals to make it through. james anderson's absence will be a massive loss for the host. ten wickets have been lost so far. the bowler will be missing. >> it's a massive loss, that's for sure. they have to bring somebody else in that has to match him. it's going to be pretty difficult to do. they will miss him, but they're on a high, as well, so they'll keep riding that high, i'm sure. >> i believe he's confident of making the overall, which he'll do everything he can to be right for that. he's such an integral part of the squad. >> dallas cowboys threw a punch at the quarterback after the two came together in play in practice. bryant, who's the biggest star in the cowboy camp having signed a five year $70 million contract refused to back down. tony romo stepped in to diffuse the situation. >> a two time major tennis champion is in washington to take a tour have the white house, capturing everything on his mobile phone. while number three didn't get to meet the president, but was impressed with what he saw, limbering up at one stage as he prepares for his first match on wednesday. >> i was very lucky to get the chance to do that. it's only one mile away from the hotel, and literally right in the middle of the city. you know, one thing, i did expect it to be a lot bigger. >> one of the most famous football players in madrid in disguise, he donned a beard and fake belly before heading out on the streets of the spanish capital, complete with cute dog. at first, he can't find anyone to return the ball to him. he can't even score a date from a good-looking passer by. in a city that place host to his team, real madrid, you are bound to find a few to appreciate his skills. when he finally revealed his true identity to this young lad, spectators who had so easily dismissed him for over an hour realized their big mistake. >> amazing stuff. that is all the sport for now. >> thanks so much. that brings us to the end of the news hour, we are back in just a couple of minutes. don't go too far. a deadly milestone in the mediterranean. over 2,000 people die this year trying to reach europe. ♪ hello and welcome to al jazeera live from our headquarters in doha. i'm sami zeidan. also coming up . . . a free man, south african politician leaves court to jubilant cries. tens of thousands homeless and roads underwater,

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